Tuesday, May 15, 2007

A game September 16 against Loyola (Chicago) at Toyota Park in Chicago highlights the 2007 Valpo men's soccer schedule, released today by head coach Mike Avery.

The Crusaders and Ramblers will square off at the home of Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire in the first Horizon League contest for any Valpo team. Loyola earned the Horizon League's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's College Cup last season.

Valpo will play in three exhibition games, including a home game at Eastgate Field August 25 against Western Kentucky, prior to the start of regular season play August 31 at North Carolina State. The game against the Wolfpack is the first of two the Crusaders will play in as part of the Wolfpack Classic, as Valpo will face NCAA quarterfinal participant Duke on September 2.

The Crusaders will face IPFW in the first of five regular season home games at Eastgate Field on September 7. Road games at Evansville and DePaul follow before the Horizon League opener against Loyola. Other non-conference matchups include a home tilt against Michigan State and road tests against Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois and Western Michigan.

Valpo will host Butler and UW-Green Bay in league play and will play at UW-Milwaukee, Detroit, Wright State and UIC before concluding regular season play November 2 at Eastgate Field against Cleveland State. The Horizon League Championship begins November 4 with a first round match, and continues with quarterfinals on the 9th, semifinals on the 11th and finals on the 17th, to be played on campus sites.

2007 Valparaiso University Men's Soccer

Date Opponent Time
Aug. 17 at Indianapolis ! 6 p.m.
Aug. 25 Western Kentucky ! 1 p.m.
Aug. 27 at Goshen ! 6 p.m.
Aug. 31 at North Carolina State # 4 p.m.
Sept. 2 at Duke # 6 p.m.
Sept. 7 IPFW 5 p.m.
Sept. 9 at Evansville 2 p.m.
Sept. 14 at DePaul 4 p.m.
Sept. 16 vs. Loyola (Chicago) $* 3:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Western Illinois 4 p.m.
Sept. 23 Butler * 2 p.m.
Sept. 26 UW-Green Bay * 4 p.m.
Sept. 29 at UW-Milwaukee * 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 at Detroit * 3 p.m.
Oct. 7 at Eastern Illinois 3:30 p.m.
Oct. 9 at Western Michigan 2 p.m.
Oct. 21 Michigan State 1 p.m.
Oct. 28 at Wright State * 5 p.m.
Oct. 31 at UIC * 7 p.m.
Nov. 2 Cleveland State * 3 p.m.
Nov. 4, 9, 11, 17 Horizon League Championships (at higher seeds) TBA

All times Central.
Home games in bold and played at Eastgate Field.
! – indicates exhibition games
# - Wolfpack Classic (Raleigh, N.C.)
$ - at Toyota Park (Chicago, Ill.)
* - indicates Horizon League games